How to Stop a Dog From Running Out the Door

A dog that constantly attempts to run out the door of its home is at risk of danger. It can be hit by a vehicle, attacked by other animals or picked up by other people. A dog wants to leave its home for a variety of reasons, including curiosity. Fortunately, there are a few ways to teach your dog not to run out the door of your home.

Things You'll Need

  • Treats
  • Leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your dog the "Sit" command, if it doesn’t know it already. Place your dog in front of you and hold a treat in your hand. Hold your hand above the dog's head and gradually move it back behind it. As the dog looks at the treat, it will likely fall on its bottom while looking upwards at your hand. Say "Sit" when your dog sits down and give it the treat as a reward.

    • 2

      Teach your dog to "Stay," if it isn’t familiar with this command already. Have your dog sit in front of you and say, "Stay," while you hold your palm out in front the dog. Slowly step backwards, repeating the command "Stay" and holding your palm out the entire time. Give the dog a treat each time it obeys you. As your dog gets familiar with the process, increase the length of time in which it should stay.

    • 3

      Place a leash on your dog at the beginning of training to prevent it from running out of the door. Use the leash to correct the dog when it gets up out of the "Sit" and "Stay" positions by swiftly tugging on it when the dog gets up, suggests the Paw Rescue website.

    • 4

      Teach your dog not to run out the door by implementing the "Sit" and "Stay" techniques. Tell your dog to "Sit" and "Stay" before you walk to the door. If your dog moves at all while you walk to the door, repeat the commands and wait for it to obey before opening the door.

    • 5

      Open the door. If your dog continues to remain in the sit and stay positions, reward it for doing so by giving it a treat. If it gets up, command it to return to the "Sit" and "Stay" positions before opening the door again. By bringing the dog back to its original position, you are reinforcing the commands, as well as helping the dog learn what it is supposed to do by associating these techniques with staying inside.

    • 6

      Realize that even though your dog may frequently obey your commands, it may get excited and still try to run out the door from time to time. Therefore, always stay alert and never fully trust your dog to stay when the door is open.